The first time I got acquainted with Royal Design Studio stencils at Haven 2013 I fell instantly in love! So naturally, when our master bedroom redo got underway, that’s who immediately came to mind for a pair of stenciled drop cloth curtains!
*A big thank-you to Royal Design Studio for providing me with the stencil for this project. All written content expressed in the article is – as always – my own, and no other compensation was provided.*
I’ve wanted to do some stenciled drop cloth curtains for, well… forever. The look of a design painted on the natural canvas just had me swooning! I chose the Fabric Damask all-over stencil. I knew the pattern had to be large, since each curtain panel would be done on a 6’x9′ drop cloth. I also knew that for the style of headboard I have chosen, the color choices I wanted to use and the somewhat sleeker look I had in mind, this damask design would bring the right amount of pattern and elegance to the room.
In case you’re not familiar with the nature of drop cloths, they aren’t perfect. They often aren’t straight and they sometimes have flaws. The two that I purchased weren’t too bad. One did have some picks on the right side, though, so I had to reach for my ‘knit-picker’ (never cut those pesky picks – you might leave a hole). With the knit picker, come up from the underside through to the top very near the thread and, hooking it, pull though to the underside. The result is no loose threads and a slight flaw that will never be noticeable when the stenciling is complete!
Before stenciling on a drop cloth you really need to launder it. I debated this step for days before deciding it would really be a good idea! Ironing just isn’t my thang, if you know what I mean! I laundered them in tepid warm water, and dried on low. Then I ironed them. Yep. All 12 feet by 9 feet!
They sure did look pretty when I got finished, though! Now for the fun part! Here are the supplies I used:
2 – 6’x9′ painter’s canvas drop cloths
2 sample sizes latex paint
in chosen color
2 bottles (6-8 oz) fabric or textile medium
Dense foam roller
, plus refills
1 – Stencil
I underestimated the amount of paint my all-over design would take. So, in hindsight, I would have gone ahead and bought a quart of paint instead of the 2 sample sizes. But, after mixing with the fabric medium, I had just enough. The purpose of the fabric medium is to help bond the paint to the fibers and to avoid the stiffness that you would have from applying undiluted paint straight onto the fabric. Once the stenciled design is heat set, the curtains can be washed with no problem to the design.
Tape the stencil down onto the fabric. To stencil with a roller, load your roller with paint and off-load by rolling onto some folded paper towels. This will distribute the paint evenly on the roller. Then begin rolling over the stencil with an even pressure. You may have to go back over it to get the desired coverage. Just follow the how-to-stencil page HERE or the instructions that come with your stencil, and you’ll be golden!
I do love how they turned out!! And to get a clue to the rest of the redo, just look at the left beyond the curtain panel! That’s where I tested my paint choices for the bedroom… coming soon!
I can’t wait to show you the rest!! Stay tuned!
Have a great weekend!
PS – Don’t forget to pin so you can refer to it later! And if you want to share it on Facebook so your friends can learn how, that’d be great!
This post is linked to Metamorphosis Monday
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